Review: Generation V (American Vampire #1) by M.L. Brennan

Published: May 7, 2013 by Roc
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Source: Sent for Review

Goodreads Summary 

Reality Bites

Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human.

But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can’t ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how.

But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.…

Strength and Firmness of Mind

I love a good vampire book as much as the next person, but authors face the daunting task of giving me what I want and making sure I'm not reading the same story over and over again.

The Good

Generation V is definitely unlike any vampire book I've read before. I had to throw away all of my preconceptions about what it means to be a vampire. Well, let me re-phrase that. I had to throw away all of my preconceptions about what it means to be MOSTLY a vampire. Fortitude is not all vampire yet, and he doesn't hold any of the traits that I know I stereo-typically associate with a vampire. He's not sauve, he's not calculating, he's not callous, and he most certainly does not have money. More than that, he's the underdog. I root for him the whole story to completely cut ties with that cheating girlfriend, to grow a pair and kick out that free-loading roommate, to kiss the girl despite nerves (plus who cares if she's out of your league!), and to get the bad guy despite no real super powers.

The names are a lot of fun in Generation V. Fortitude is such an apt name for our hero. He's strong of mind and firm in resolve, but doesn't have that physical strength or superman body. His brother Chivalry is someone I'd like to know more of. His name is fitting with regards to what I've seen so far in that he's a vampire and doesn't have qualms about human life being lower on the scale to theirs, but he stands up for his brother every chance he can as well as being a gentleman in some odd ways. You'll have to read more to know what I mean on that score. Fort's sister Prudence is all about her own interests and acts in a very practical fashion, so that one is right on as well. I also met Fort's mother, the matriarch of the clan Madeline.

"AH! You better make him pay!!" Fort takes on the task of saving some local girls from a visiting vampire, Luca, that flat-out sickens me. I want Fortitude to succeed so badly while reading that I yell at the book. Thankfully, he has help in the form of a sultry shape-shifter that has to be my favorite in the book, Suzume. I don't want to tell you too much about her because I want her to be a surprise, but just know I don't come across someone like her everyday, I love her fierce attitude and nonchalant hear-me-roar nature, and I ADORE the fact that Brennan gave us this creature to appreciate in Generation V.

The Bad

There were some definite times when I wanted to shake Fort and ask him why on earth he puts up with half the crap in his life that he does. Man, you are a doormat for part of the story!

I want to put this here for some to be fair-warned. There is a pedophile vampire as the bad guy. He's seriously nasty. Messing with kids is not ok! There is mention of what is 'probably' happening to the young girls but nothing graphic is shown or told in the story.

The Romance

There's not a lot of romance in Generation V. Fortitude's girlfriend is not someone that I liked. Suzume was a nice bit of chemistry and mixed things up well but while there was a lot of potential there and some flirting, there's not a romance.

Conclusion

By the end of this book, Fortitude was a nice strong character that I could really stand behind. I cheered for him and wanted him to succeed the whole time. He grew and made better decisions as time progressed and I was happy to see him in a much better place at the end. A true underdog that is on a mission with a wonderful sidekick. There is humor, action, and the extreme desire for the hero to win. Again, messing with kids is not ok so the bad guy had to go down!! Very recommended.

Excerpts

"Oh yeah, this looks like a completely natural death," I said. "As long as you ignore the gunshot, the smashed head and nose, the empty spot where one eye used to be, and oh yeah, the gaping chest wound."

"Yes, Fort's wit is our constant companion," Chivalry said, straight-faced. His second kick was even harder and I shut my mouth on what I would've said next.

"Because you're broke," she said.
"How do you know that?" Given the way that Suzume had treated me as her source of free food since she'd met me, I was pretty surprised that she'd known.
"A few subtle clues were evident." Suzume mimed inhaling on a pipe, then began ticking them off on her fingers. "First, there was your car. It's rusty, old, doesn't like to start in the morning, and the bumper drags enough that I'm sure that one more speed bump is going to rip it right off. Second, there were your clothes. They suck. Third was your unspeakable cheapness in not buying me a beer last night to go with the pizza. I mean, pizza and beer. They just go together. You don't mess with nature. But probably the most striking clue was when I accessed your online bank statement and looked at your balance."

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